Reviewed by Timothy Dike |
| The USS Sims was commissioned on August
1, 1939 at Bath, Maine. She operated in the Atlantic
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, warships were urgently needed
in the Pacific and Sims departed December 16, 1941 to join the task force
formed around the USS Yorktown CV-5. See her full DANFS
entry here.
Midship has produced a new Sim class destroyer that can be built as
shown on the box in 44 or even a 1942 early war version. This kit began
life as the old Classic Warships kit and has been updated with some new
parts.
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| HULL |
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| The hull is well cast and comes very close to the size
and shape of the Sims hull. The radius on the fore deck correctly narrows
as it goes to the bow. The surface detail is pretty good and the only flash
was along the waterline where it is easy to deal with. |
click images
to enlarge
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| SUPERSTRUCTURE, WEAPONS, FITTINGS,
AND SMALL PARTS |
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| The main forward superstructure and deckhouse are cast together
and the shape looks very accurate. Splinter shields on this part look good
as does the 5" gun base. |
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| The bridge will need some work as the
canvass covered railing on the top are way too thick even for this scale.
I would recommend that you cut this part off and replace it with photo
etch. Make sure you cut it flush with the roof top and then you can bevel
the edge of what's left to form the awning found on most of these ships.
The bridge wings appear to have a crown molding all around the top edge.
This should be a flair very hard to replicate in this small scale, but
if you radius the inside edge you can simulate it. Also the back side of
the bridge wings where the flag bags are located should be open. |
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| The small deckhouse with the forward
deck extensions look a little rough, but fit pretty good considering that
I have not cleaned them up. The funnel has the correct shape above the
trunking. On this kit most of the trunking is faired over, not really correct
but not really a bad look. There would be walkways on both sides of the
funnel to connect the two decks that tend to give it a box like appearance
from a distance. |
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Two different aft superstructure options are included. An as built with
room for 4 x 20 mm gun mounts. The gun shields are a bit short though.
A later version has two gun tubs for 2 x 40 mm twin mounts. So you can
build an as built Sims or a late war version of the other members of the
class. |
| METAL PARTS |
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| The 5" gun mounts are cast in metal. The shape is pretty good, though
#3 turret should be a canvas covered version. You can make one yourself
by filing the top of the turret. The other metal parts have a little flash
but otherwise are shaped correctly. Two torpedo cranes are provided as
well as new flag bags and anchors. |
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| PHOTO ETCH |
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| A relief etch brass photo etch fret is included to add the fine details.
Detailed yardarms, boat davits, 20 mm guns with bases, and depth charge
racks are just some of the nice items included. As mentioned above there
are detail parts for the torpedo tubes that include the doors, and plumbing
and bracing parts. |
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| While these parts are not as fine as some of the other
aftermarket manufactures, the approach to the detailing is very innovative.
You will have to supply your own outer railings, but most of us have plenty
of those anyway. Separate brass rod is included to fabricate the mast.
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| WEAPONS SPRUE |
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| This kit features the Midship standard weapons sprue to supply the
small weapons and fittings. There is everything you need to build
a most any class as well as a bunch of extra spare parts you can
use for other projects. The rafts are molded in two styles and are both
nicely done. |
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| DECALS |
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| The decal sheet is a real treat and includes flags and pennants as
well as both prewar and early and late war hull numbers. These are printed
by Microscale and are typical of the high quality decals they usually produce.
They are nicely registered and sharp. |
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| INSTRUCTIONS |
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| The instructions are three pages. A bill of materials on
one side and and exploded view on the others. The illustrations are good,
but a good plan and elevation of the finished ship would have been nice.
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| CONCLUSIONS |
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It's nice to see Midship
offering more kits for 700 scale modelers. This new Sims kit has a lot
to offer, a nice photo etch fret, great decals, and options for early or
late war. A few of the parts will need some extra work, but there is a
lot of potential here. The hull is correct and that provides a good foundation
on which to build your ship.
The retail price is $40, but I have seen it online for much less. |
